Show Reviews

Nine times out of ten, if I tell you "the Antelope is the jam to listen to", you're probably going to assume (and probably rightly so) that the show is not worth your time. This is the tenth time. The Antelope here builds quite nicely from the start in the 3.0 Antelope tradition (the middle ground between early-90s flamethrowing and late-90s chillness), then with no warning neatly slides into an short-but-sweet Type II jam, Trey climbing the ladder with an ascending guitar line, before just as neatly sliding back into ye olde Antelope jam as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Without the excursion into something different it would've been a nice way to end the set; with the excursion, it enters 3.0's shortlist of most memorable Antelopes.

The rest of the show is reasonably good, certainly good for a tour opener; I imagine that most people will consider the first set to be the better of the two, and I think I'd agree with them, as it boasts strong versions of Stash, Theme (!), Wolfman's, and a neat segue from Mike's Song into Silent in the Morning (the entire Groove is not too shabby, either). The second set, for its many pleasures (the really mellow Page showcase in Golden Age, R&R melting away into an ambient jam), feels a bit like a missed opportunity more than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I listened to the show and I enjoyed it, especially in the aforementioned peaks, but the bar's been raised pretty high for 3.0, wouldn't you say? This show might have dropped jaws in 2009; in 2013 it's mixtape material. Nothing wrong with that. It's early days, after all, and if the worst that can be said about a show like this is that you'll want to hang on to not-insignificant chunks of it, that probably augurs well for the rest of the summer.

Well here we go, 30 year anniversary kickoff in Maine. The downtown Bangor venue is basically right outside, and anyone strolling by during the long soundcheck was able to not only hear (well), but also make out the silhouette of the band's new setup, with Fish tucked in between Trey and Mike, a little to the back. I strolled up around the time they were getting down with a lovely reggae number, but it's the 15 minute jam to close the soundcheck that had me beside myself. I guess we'll have to wait for some audio to surface to confirm it, but it was one of the most dynamic, funky, and straight-up kickass jams I've heard the band do in the 3.0 years. Page was very involved in building the jam out, and Trey kept pushing it in new interesting directions every time the rest of the band would dip a bit. After the soundcheck Trey said something to the effects of "for those of you listening out there we've decided to reject the digital revolution. Phish has gone analog. We're using the analog board. Everything is analog. Hear the difference! You're hearing the show through vinyl. ... Seriously though, we did switch back to an analog board." Got my money's worth waiting in line, so there you go.

But there was also a show! The band seemed a bit tentative out of the gate to start the first set, feeling things out in the Stash a bit but not much doing otherwise. The NICU picked up the energy a bunch and made it clear Page was going to have a hot night (he did). Wolfman's is probably your set one highlight, which started nice and funky and eventually peaked pretty satisfactorily. Trey dove into the Chalk Dust head first, confirming that he felt like rocking out on this night--but I'd argue it also showcased a willingness on his part to pick his notes a bit more carefully. I think we might be seeing bit a more patient Trey this year, which bodes very well for the moments of exploration to come. And they will.

There were a few in Bangor, beyond the soundcheck. The Golden Age to open Set II was terrific. A wonderful, full band interplay funky jam that struck me as the Phish's first explicit nod to their 30th anniversary year. One can only hope that they continue to explore these retro 97-98, upbeat grooves in 2013. The jam melted nicely into Twist, and the sequence that followed through the Rock n Roll was pretty much that: Rock n Roll. But the energy was high, and again Trey exhibited a pretty deft combination of nimble fingers and well phrased solos, ala 94. Number Line in particular felt like a pretty notable, if in-the-box version. And it's funny, no matter how cheesy I feel the song itself is, whenever I see it live I can't help but enjoy it. Maybe that's because I only see the band a couple times a year now, but it felt especially poignant for the first show of 2013.

After playing on the old Languedoc for most of the night, Trey finally pulled out the Ocedoc for Ocelot's first ever second-set appearance. It didn't disappoint either, as far as versions go. Fish started hitting really hard and the band seemed content to play big and loud, opting for the Rock n Roll as a way to put an exclamation point on it all.

The Rock n Roll jam dissolved quickly into a spacey intro to 2001, which packed a short funky punch. The version seemed to echo its early 93-94 incarnations, and you could say the rest of the show followed suit, with the '94-style playbook offerings of 2001>Cavern>Antelope, Hood. The upside to that equation is that the band took Antelope OUT for a serious run, with a little Type II jam stashed in the middle. Very cool stuff, and don't be surprised if they do this again with the song, as early as SPAC. Mike was a rock all night as usual, but I found his influence on the Antelope, and then the Hood encore, to be his most significant contribution.

Page on the vocoder during the Hood intro was pretty fun, too.

I enjoyed this show as much as the summer opener on 6/7 last year, and I think we can take away as many keepers in terms of jams as that one, as well. And that's without considering the soundcheck. Kick that one down, will you boys?

The worst part of the night was the guy that pissed in a cup next to me and them dropped it/threw it onto the ground between us and he splashed my hand and feet with his piss. Alcohol is a hell of an alcohol.

First set was pretty standard, but well worth the listen--I thought Stash was strong, and Wolfman's is always fun. Plus I'll always have a soft spot for CDT! Nice close with your Mike's Silent Groove.
After a RIDICULOUS wait for the bathroom...
Golden Age isn't my favorite chart, but hot damn were they on it tonight. Some real nice work from Page. But the second set, to me, belonged to one man, and one man only: Johnny B. Fishman was unreal, took the reins and refused to relinquish them from about mid-Ocelot through Antelope. Wow that guy can play.
As the boys were coming out for the encore (a strong Hood, to my ears), Page picked up a glowstick and playfully threw it at the cameraman--much to the surprise and delight of those on stage nearby, it (accidentally, of course...Page wouldn't attack an innocent cameraman!) hit him right in the face. Good to see the boys laughing on stage, Trey's grin was a permanent fixture up there.
Loved the new light set up, and can't wait to see Fish utilize that midi-marimba (if that's what it is, I couldn't get a good look at it?) in the near future. Get pumped for SPAC y'all!

Show #17 for me and my second time seeing Phish up in Maine. This 2013 summer tour opener was nowhere near as epic as seeing the band at IT in 2003, but I don't think anyone was expecting that. It sure was a breeze getting into town and into the venue. Found a free spot for the van on the street right by the waterfront park at about 5:30. I can't speak to the scene on Main St. or any of the various parking lots in town, but I can attest to the fact the area down by the river was one of the chillest and most positive pre-show hangs I've ever witnessed. So many older folks in worn Dead shirts, so many families, so little sketchiness, and a laid back security/police presence. It was so cool being able to see the stage from the park and know that many ticketless fan's would still be able to see and hear the show very well. Little did I know that a few hours earlier, some lucky fans had been treated to a soundcheck, portions of which have already appeared on youtube as of this writing.

As for the show, it was a high energy, if somewhat standard tour opener. This show was actually a slight game-changer for me, as it was the first time I was able to appreciate an "average-great" show for what it was and not be disappointed by the relative dearth of interstellar jamming. Maybe it was the great scene or the fact that I had better enjoy myself after driving up four and a half hours from Boston, but I had an absolute blast.

The first set might have had slightly better flow than the second. They took Jim out for an early set romp, flirting at the edges of type II without actually going there. The jams in Stash and Wolfman's were both solid. It was really nice to see them nail Theme (to my ears anyway). There's been some talk on this board about this tune being repeatedly botched, and I think we heard a pretty great version in Bangor.

The second set started off well with ten minutes of interesting jamming after the verses in Golden Age. The first ever set two version of Ocelot gotta pretty musically thunderous and I think we'll be seeing this tune spread it's wings even more during summer '13. But for the most part the middle of set two was just a standard fun time rock and funk party. Cavern came as a bit of a surprise, as it usually signals the time to wrap things up and I felt we hadn't really gotten too much meat during this set. After a high energy reading we got one of the better Antelopes of 3.0. A lot of interesting side paths in this one and some very un-Antelope passages. It all came together nicely with a good Hood.

Definitely listen to Antelope and Golden Age for the improv and if you're looking to hear a contemporary version of Theme, this is a great version to go to. By signaling out these highlights I'm not trying to imply that anything in this show was poorly played. You could totally listen to all 3 hours of the performance and rock the fuck out.

This Golden Age was one of the best songs ive ever seen them play live. First set was great but noticed it was all older songs probably to please the people who havent been to a show in 10 years. Ocelot was killer. New lights were sweet too. Shit was FUNKY. Jams were there the entire night. Not a complaint to be found.

Starting at the Theme in the first set and going through the encore, this was a great show that I definitely think is underrated. Sure, none of the jams go very deep, but the energy never lets up for a solid two hours. I would describe it as very similar in atmosphere to the 2014-07-01 tour opener but with less type II jams.

First of all, the song selection is a great mix - the high number of heavy-hitting old-school classics form the foundation for the show, and the newer and more low-key songs come off as necessary breathers rather than awkwardly forced filler.

In terms of highlights, there's a killer Golden Age to open the second set, a Number Line that makes you want to pump your fists, and the show finishes off on a high note with a back-to-back peak combo of Antelope and Hood.

A great 3.0 show to play loud on some speakers on a summer evening. I come back to the Golden Age pretty frequently because it never fails to put a smile on my face.

Great opening show; you have everything you need here. First set was constructed perfectly to open a tour. Second set was a sweeeet rage... LOVED Twist placement, flowed perfectly from Golden Age. In all seriousness though, that Hood that was the greatest version i've ever heard. It was SERIOUSLY a Hood for the ages.

Side note: outstanding venue, really a special place. Would love to see the boys play here again.

Set 1 was awesome, set 2 was spotty but had killer highlights. Pretty much it, I had a blast, some really good peaking, IMO better/more satisfying peaks then I heard throughout most of 12. Ck5 was way more laid back and allowed phish to do their thing instead of leading them too much as I noticed in the MSG run. Looking forward to the next 6, should have some tasty tasty stuff. Northeast has been plagued with rain all month, but phish brings the good weather.

I'm a youngen, and this was my first Phish show ever. My friend got me into phish and i had heard all the albums and some of the great live shows, so i was familiar with what i was getting myself into. I was a pretty big fan already so the natural buzz i had before the show was unbelieveable (im sure everyone remembers their first show).

My friend who introduced me to ph called the opener, Possum. great start and got me dancing right away. Standard jim, stash and nicu followed. Wolfman ripped, trey was warmed up and feeling it. the mikes->silent was unusual and cool (bummed i didnt get a horse, didnt realize that would be the theme of '13, horseless mornin's). weekapaug closed the set in style.

We were up close first set, but decided to get some dancing space and rage the back of the lawn set two. At the time i had never heard golden age, so when it started i had to ask someone what song it was, but boy did I enjoy it! great funkified jam where i really was able to get down and dance and lose myself. twist continued the good vibes but killed by a mid set BDTNL. Sorry for the hate, its a nice song on its own and I totally understand what it means for the band, but god damn does it ruin a set. being a fan of ocelot i was totally happy to hear it, for some reason that song has one of those infectious grooves that you just wanna get down to. R&R was short lived but had an amazing trippy > 2001. 2001 was wicked tight (page was killing it). Cavern came next and i thought it was gonna close out the short set 2, but luckily we were in for one of the most underated antelopes of 3.0.

been you to have any spike? MAN?

and who can go wrong with a harry hood encore?! it was my favorite phish tune at the time and the perfect way to end my first phish show. after relistens its not a standout show, but then again it was only the tour opener, hence only 3 stars. but what an amazing night i'll never forget! still get goosebumps

Good show overall. Solid playing throughout, though not the most amazing show. Golden Age has some great type II jamming. Love the funky jazz-fusion part of the jam, more of that please. Good Antelope jam as well.

Highlights are:

set 1: Runaway Jim, Stash, Wolfman's, Weekapaug, though kinda slow.

set 2: Golden Age (must-hear!), Twist, Run Like An Antelope, and Hood.

I'll also add: I hope Phish never plays this venue again. They had inadequate bathroom facilities (something like a paltry 20 portapotties to support a crowd of 12,000 ain't going to cut it. Ridiculous. Clearly this venue isn't used to large crowds. The concession stands were out of food and water by intermission time, another awful disaster. Folks were pretty dehydrated, and I watched several get carted away in stretchers. Scary stuff. The field was a mudpit, but that's out of their control. However, most other things are. How about more entrances so people don't have to wait on a half mile long line to enter the place? That's not too much to ask. Pathetic excuse of a venue. Phish: don't play here again!

If tonight's show is any indication of what's to come over the course of this summer's run, we're in for a real treat.

First off: they were definitely shaking the rust off during this performance. While far from being in the upper echelon of Phish shows, this was a solid show through and through, flaws and all. A very nice Possum>Runaway Jim opener set the tone for a high energy first set, which was the better of the two sets this performance. First jam was on Stash, pretty contained and in-the-box. Some nice porno-funk going on with Wolfman's Brother, nice to see some hints of summer '97 type funkified grooves going on.

CDT was standard and nothing to write home about, but still played with high energy and lots of fun. My area of the crowd was dancing up a storm. The Mike's>Silent in the MOrning>Weekapaug closer to set I was sweet and more funk stuff happening. Mike's Clav solo onWeekapaug was jaw-dropping, albeit short. But who cares, it rocked. More clav!

Set II: Golden Age was golden indeed, and I didn't want the jam to end! They went into funk territory first, then started some truly blissfull jamming before going into outer space and summoning demons from another world. Why Trey pulled out early and led them into Twist is beyond me, because they ended the jam right when things were getting mindblowing. Oh well. Twist was standard, Backwards and Ocelot were played well with short jams but nothing extended, a real letdown, especially when they've played both songs so well in 2012. I'll skip over the rest and get right to Antelope, which was easily the best of the night. I was feeling pretty let down by the 2nd set till they pulled this one out of the hat and tore it to pieces!!

If you listen to nothing else from this show, listen to Antelope, period. End of story.

A nice encore in Harry Hood, played with lots of emotion and some nice but short jams. Nothing top-tier but played excellently and overall a great indicator of more killer shows this summer.

I thought it was a good show but I honestly expected a little more for the 30th year opener but this just lets us know that SPAC is going to be THE SHIT! having said that the highlights for me were Wolfmans Brother, Weekapaug Groove, Run Like a Anteope.

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